Many spectators, including those abroad, had reacted in astonishment and at times shaking their heads when crowds were allowed to cavort in London's Wembley Stadium and on the tennis grandstands at Wimbledon in the British summer.

But unlike some sports commentators, Corona did not leave the field as the winner.

At least that was the result of the evaluation of the British “Event Research Program”, which included 37 major events, including the European Football Championship, Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix in Silverstone.

The infection rate in the stands was therefore comparable to the average in the country or even below.

Jochen Buchsteiner

Political correspondent in London.

  • Follow I follow

The Minister responsible for culture and sport Oliver Dowden summarized the scientific results with the words: "We have shown that we can hold large events in culture and sport safely." But it is "important that people remain cautious when they are in very cramped areas so we can keep football stadiums, theaters and concert halls safe with full occupancy this winter. ”Dowden also used the study to encourage all fans to be vaccinated.

This remains "the safest way to fully celebrate events".

No restrictions, no protest

Too many no longer have to be reached. 87.7 percent of those over sixteen are now vaccinated with one dose and 76.7 percent with the second. The British government is struggling with unequal treatment as agreed in Germany. The government continues to rely on education to convince the unvaccinated. On Monday, she distributed a video showing young people with long covid. So far, vaccinated people have only had one advantage in public life: they do not have to go to quarantine at home when they return from the “yellow list” in a risk area. The government is considering making club attendance dependent on a vaccination certificate in order to encourage young people in particular to vaccinate. But so far she cannot bring herself to do it. Everything that sounds like identification is required,it meets with resistance, especially in liberal-conservative circles.

While Germany is worried about its growing incidences, Great Britain has settled in with its volatile Corona numbers, which are just rising again.

The fact that the number of new infections rose by 20 percentage points in the past week (to more than 32,000 a day) caused comparatively little excitement.

The number of hospital admissions and deaths (to 948 and 48 per day, respectively), which rose by six and eight percentage points over the same period, hardly alarms anyone.

There have been no corona restrictions from the state since July 19, and the protest against it is very limited.

Against the "third shot"

Up until July 17, two days before the government's “Freedom Day”, a fourth wave seemed unstoppable. The number of infections had reached almost 50,000 a day - on May 1, there were only 1,355 cases a day. The astonishing progression between early May and mid-July had led scientists like epidemiologist Neil Ferguson to warn that if the last restrictions were lifted, 100,000, if not 200,000, cases a day would be expected by August. Why the curve instead fell in the second half of July - up to 200,000 cases a day - and has been slowly rising again for three weeks now, has not yet been satisfactorily explained.

A role in the recent trend is attributed to vaccination breakthroughs. The proportion of fully vaccinated people among new infections is increasing; The reason is apparently the slightly decreasing protective function of the vaccine in people who were immunized at the beginning of the year. The National Vaccination Commission is expected not to recommend that the government follow the United States and launch a "booster program" in the fall. The effects are too small, it is said, and insufficient data are available. On the other hand, a large-scale booster program could undermine confidence in the protective effect of the vaccination. Last but not least, what speaks against the “third shot” for everyone is that it would also set back aid deliveries to poorer countries. Experts therefore only expect targeted offers for risk groups.